Millennials visit restaurants more than other generations so understanding what resonates with them can be the first step to building a foodservice operation that becomes a destination for this age group.

Members of the Millennial generation, people between the ages of 19 and 34 years old, have a distinct perspective on dining occasions, placing more value on attributes like social responsibility, sustainability, local, organic, grass-fed, and hormone-free offerings, according to Technomic, a Chicago-based foodservice market research firm. Millennials foster emotional connections to brands and their loyalty stems beyond experience.

"Success with today's Millennial consumer will depend on making an emotional connection and setting expectations," said Darren Tristano, Technomic EVP. But establishing an emotional connection can pay dividends. That's because Millennials visit restaurants more frequently than any other generation, Tristano added.